Gina Thomson’s family are hoping to bring her home in time for Christmas so she can recover surrounded by her loved ones after falling seriously ill on board a flight home from a holiday in Turkey
A British gran was left fighting for her life in a Croatian hospital after falling unconscious on a flight home from a holiday hotspot that had to be diverted. Gina Thomson, 66, fell ill on the plane as she returned from a week-long break in Turkey.
The Edinburgh-bound aircraft was forced to detour nearly 1,500 miles away to Zagreb in Croatia so Gina could receive urgent medical care after she became unresponsive onboard.
Heroic cabin crew worked on Gina for around 45 minutes before the plane landed at Zagreb, where she was rushed to hospital and placed on a ventilator in intensive care.
Lifelong pal Aileen Willard, who had been flying with her when she became unwell, told the Daily Record: “We were in the airport waiting to fly home and Gina was experiencing flu-like symptoms. It wasn’t unusual because she had been coughing for a few days.
“When we got on the flight I went to sleep. I was woken to my legs being shaken and then I saw Gina lying in the middle of the pathway being resuscitated -she was unresponsive.
“When we landed, medics came on board and took her to hospital. By the time I arrived she was already on a ventilator. Doctors wanted to stabilise her as fast as they could.”
Medics found that Gina, who had travelled without insurance, was suffering from pneumonia, COPD, and other undiagnosed health issues.
After weeks of uncertainty, she was taken off the ventilator and slowly regained consciousness. However, she remains seriously unwell and is currently battling bronchitis.
Aileen added: “She had to have a tracheostomy to help her breathe. She had to be heavily sedated for weeks. She’s doing okay now, but is having bouts where her health suddenly dips. We know she’s in the best hands possible over there, but we need to get her home to be with her family.”
Doctors in Croatia are willing to let Gina be transported home to Dundee, but only with specialist medical assistance. A medical evacuation flight to return to Scotland carries a cost of £25,000. An online fundraiser has since been set up to cover the costs.
Aileen said: “The British Embassy can’t offer any financial help for this kind of transport. We’ve been quoted around £25,000. We desperately need to get her home to her family. Gina is a kind, caring, and fun-loving person who didn’t deserve for her holiday to end this way.
“All we want now is to bring her home so she can be with her loved ones for Christmas, to recover in familiar surroundings and to start rebuilding her strength.” Click here to donate to the fundraiser.
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